Printed circuit switch



'Aug- 201 v R. E. HARTsocK 3,398,245

PRINTED CIRCUIT SWITCH Filed Sept. 15. 1966 Invenior.

Robert E. HarisocZc,

9 any.

United States Patent 3,398,245 PRINTED CIRCUIT SWITCH Robert E. Hartsock, La Habra, Califl, assignor to United- Carr Incorporated, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 579,059 6 Claims. (Cl. 20011) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This is an improved switch with a printed circuit stator having 20 stationary contacts equally spaced in a circle pattern. The switch rotor moves over the contacts in ten equal steps in one complete cycle of operation and has four interconnected contacts spaced apart equivalent to the stationary contact spaces in a 2-1-2 space group pattern. The switch input is connected to the four outputs in a binary sequence upon rotation of the rotor through one cycle. This is accomplished by having the stationary contacts interconnected with each other and the input and four output terminals as follows: Contacts 19, 20, 1, 4, 8 and 12 to the input; contacts 3, 7 and 11 to the first output, contacts 13 and 15 to the second output, contacts 14 and 18 to the third output, and contact 2 to the fourth output.

This invention relates generally to contact patterns and more specifically to switching contact patterns.

It is often necessary to convert decimal information into a binary form for electronic processing. Since the ten units of a decade do not use all of the sixteen combinations of a four bit binary, there are a number of sequences that will function as a code. It is necessary that in certain combinations four moving contacts are required. Three of the four bits must be connected to power in these combinations.

One of the old ways of providing for the electrical transmission of this type of information, was to have a series of stacked wafers, each of the wafers having a number of contacts with a common feed, the contacts being strapped in a predetermined manner. As the switch was manually rotated, separate movable contacts engaged discrete contacts on each wafer. This type of switch is cumbersome, expensive to manu-factureboth in terms of cost of material and labor, and creates a great possibility of wiring error. A ten segment contact pattern in the form of a circle does not provide sufficient design freedom to avoid the problems.

The idea of utilizing concentric circles of segments on a printed circuit panel has the disadvantage of being too bulky for miniaturized applications and also creates difficulty in providing easy pathways from some segments to external connections.

The present invention avoids the necessity of manually wiring in each lead for each digit. Furthermore, the diificulties resulting from the use of concentric circles of segments is also avoided by using a twenty digit circle and positioning the rotating contacts so that with a ten position index, they will engage alternate points.

An object of the present invention is to provide a contact pattern for a switch in which the necessary switching combinations are accomplished in a single circle of contacts.

A further object of the present invention is to superimpose the segment of one ten-position circle of contacts between the segments of another ten position circle of contacts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a switch having a twenty position arrangement with 3,398,245 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 a step fan having odd-even-odd-blade spacings for effecting a translation or for controlling a binary output in accordance with the switch position.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a switch;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the printed circuitry of the fixed plate of the switch shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the movable plate with the movable contact fixed thereto.

In the drawings there is shown a front plate 10 through which a rotary switching mechanism 12 extends and through which a series of lights also extend. In this embodiment, the lights are in a line transverse the length of the front plate 10 and in spaced relation to each other. In the embodiment shown the lights are given the numbers 1, 2, 4, and 8 which are printed adjacent each light. Other numbered codes could be utilized, if desired, and more lights could be utilized following the principles to be set forth hereinafter. The switch mechanism 12 includes a movable plate 16 from which the movable contact element 18 extends. The movable contact element 18 is riveted to the movable plate 16 and has the configuration of a split semi-circle having two free terminal ends spaced from each other; providing two flexible arms. Each of the arms has a protuberance 20 adjacent its terminal and a second protuberance 21 spaced from the first. The protuberances 20 and 21 protrude in a direction away from the movable plate or rotor 16 and serve as the contact points which engage the printed circuit pattern 22 formed on the fixed plate 24. The printed circuit pattern 22 is in fixed relation to the [front plate 10 while the protuberances 20 and 21 are in wiping, movable relation with the circuit pattern 22.

The plunger 26 when pressed, rotates a shaft 28 which in turn rotates the movable plate 16 or in a simpler device well known in the art may be rotated clockwise thus moving the movable plate 16. The top of the plunger is numbered from 0 to 9 and these numbers are, at one position, related to their binary equivalent.

The printed circuit pattern 22 comprises five terminals 30, one of which is a common lead and each of the remaining four electrically engages one of the lights, and a series of spaced segments, some of which are connected to one of the terminals 30; some not connected to any of the terminals 30 and some connected through a circuit path, to each other.

The segments may be numbered by contact points as follows: Segment A includes three bits, namely, 19, 20, and 1, reading from left to right; segment Bone bit 2; segment C-one bit 3; segment Done bit 4; segment E-bits 5 and 6; segment F-bit 7; segment Gbit 8; segment H- bits 9 and 10; segment Ibit 11; segment Jbit 12; segment Kbit 13; segment Lbit 14; segment Mbit 15; segment -N-bits 16 and 17; and segment O-bit 18.

The distances between each of the protuberances 20 and 21 is such that when the first protuberances engage segments D and E the second protuberances will engage segments A =and H. Since segments A and -D are connected to the common feed and segments E and H are not electrically connected to any termination, no lights will go on and 'we may take this to indicate the 0 position, which will correspond to the 0 position on the plunger .26. If the plunger 26 is turned to the number 1 position, the protuberances 20, 21 will be advanced to engage segments C, E, G and I :and the light next to the number 1 will go on.

When the plunger 26 is turned to the number 3 position the protuberances 20, 21 will be advanced to 3 engage segments F, H, J, and M and the lights next to the numbers 1 and 2 will go on.

With reference to the foregoing description it is to be understood that what has been disclosed herein represents only a single embodiment of the invention and is to be construed as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature and that the invention is best described by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

'1. A switch for connecting four outlets to a power source in a binary sequence comprising twenty contact positions disposed in a single equally spaced circular configuration, a plurality of stationary contact portions in said positions, and four interconnected contacts movable in a ten equal step cycle over said stationary contact portions, said movable contacts being spaced in a pattern along said circular configuration with the equivalent of two positions between the first and second movable contacts, of two positions between the third and fourth movable contacts and of one position between said second and third movable contacts.

2. A switch for connecting four outlets to a power source in a binary sequence in accordance with claim 1 wherein the twenty contact positions have fixed contact portions at positions numbered 19, 20, l, 4, 8 and 12 interconnected with each other and the power source, fixed contact portions at positions numbered 3, 7 and 11 interconnected with each other and the first outlet, fixed contact portions at positions numbered 13 and 15 interconnected with each other and the second outlet, fixed contact portions at positions numbered 14 and 18 interconnected vwith each other and the third outlet, and the fixed contact portion as position numbered 2 interconnected with the fourth outlet.

3. A switch for connecting four output circuits to an input circuit in accordance with a predetermined binary code upon being operated on a cyclic decimal basis comprising a rotary switch having a series of twenty fixed stations for holding contacts equally spaced in a circular configuration and a rotating mechanism adapted to move four interconnected movable contacts along such circular configuration into ten equally spaced locations upon roation through a 360 cycle, said four integrally connected movable contacts being in a fixed pattern relation to each other and adapted to engage contacts at the contact stations with the outer movable contacts spaced two spaces irom the inner contacts which are one space apart, fixed contacts being disposed at the contact stations specified clockwise cyclically by a number series and being interconnected to the input and to the output circuits as CfOllOWS; Contacts at stations 19, 20,

1, 4, 8, 12 and the input circuit being interconnected, contacts at stations 3, 7 and 11 and a first output circuit being interconnected, contacts at stations 13 and 15 and a second output circuit being interconnected, contacts 'at stations 14 :and 18 and a third output circuit being interconnected, and a contact at station 2 and a fourth output circuit being interconnected.

4. A switch for connecting binary outlets representing decimal figures 1, 2, 4, 8 to a power source in binary sequence comprising twenty contact positions disposed in equally spaced circular configuration and a four blade contact fan with fan contact positions equivalent to positions 1, 4, 6 and 9, movable in a ten step cycle around said twenty contact positions.

5. A switch for connecting four outlets to a power source in a binary sequence comprising a switch body with one input connection and four output connections and twenty contact positions disposed in an equally spaced circular configuration and a switch rotor having four interconnected contacts movable in a ten equal step cycle over said twenty contact positions, said movable contacts being spaced in a pattern along said circular configuration with the equaivalent of two contact positions between the first and secondmovable contacts, of two contact positions betwen the third and fourth movable contacts and of one contact position betwen said second and third movable contacts.

6. A switch for connecting four outlets to a power source in a binary sequence in accordance with claim 5 wherein the twenty contact positions are numbered in a cyclic series and the switch body has fixed contact portions at contact positions numbered 19, 20, 1, 4, 8 and 12 interconnected with each other and the input connection, fixed contact portions at contact positions numbered 3, 7 and 11 interconnected with each other and a first outlet connection, fixed contact portions at contact positions numbered 13 and 15 interconnected with each other and a second outlet connection, fixed contact portions at contact positions numbered 14 and 18 interconnected with each other and a third outlet connection, and fixed contact portion at contact position numbered 2 interconnected with a fourth outlet connection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,343,109 8/1919 Byerly. 2,053,948 9/1936 Edwards 200-11 ROBERT K. SCHAEFFER, Primary Examiner. H. HOHAUSER, Assistant Examiner. 

